Introduction

Heraldry is a set of rules surrounding the design and right to bear a Coat-of-Arms. Central to the Coat-of-Arms is the escutcheon (shield), on which are colors and images called ordinaries and charges, potentially quartered or marshaled (divided up). In addition, the entire achievement can also include a Family Crest (which is embellishment that adorns the top of the shield), supporters (creatures or objects that "hold" the shield up on one or both sides), and a motto either over the top of the crest or below the shield. The motto is traditionally in Latin.

(Do not confuse the "Coat-of-Arms" with the "Family Crest." Companies that mass produce illegitimate "family" devices intermix the terms Coat-of-Arms and Family Crests, but they are not the same thing. The Family Crest is only a portion of the Coat-of-Arms, and doesn't include the shield and supporters.)

The coloring is called the tincture, and the official description of the Coat-of-Arms is called the blazon.

This page will introduce you to the various Coats-of-Arms awarded to de Havilland men throughout the ages, emerging from the shadows of history into more modern times!